


Famous Last Lines of a Fool

by elrondjolras



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrondjolras/pseuds/elrondjolras
Summary: Keith deals with the fallout of his best friend (and long-time crush) moving away to university - and leaving him behind.





	1. That's Me In the Corner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this AU for a while, and I'm really excited to finally start writing it out! The fic title is from [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UhW72s8Qxc) song, and the chapter title is from [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKvCV8MFIaw) one

**April, 2016**

The envelope lies on the bed between them, a sharp white contrast against the deep blue of Shiro’s sheets. Shiro himself sits cross-legged, elbows resting on his knees and chin in his hands. Keith mirrors his position on the opposite side of the offending piece of paper, watching Shiro as he stares unblinkingly at the  _GARRISON_ stamped in big black letters across the back of the envelope. 

"I'm going to open it," Shiro says.

"Okay," Keith replies. 

Shiro doesn't move. It's the fifth time they've had the same exchange in the almost half hour since the mail had come in. 

"It'll be good news," Keith pushes.

"And if it's not?"

"It will be." Keith leans over and squeezes Shiro's arm. "And if it's not then fuck them, they don't deserve you anyway."

Shiro chuckles and lets out a shaky breath. Then he snatches the envelope up, and with only slightly trembling fingers, carefully rips the top open and unfolds the letter within. His face is undecipherable as his eyes skim the text, and Keith watches him with bated breath as Shiro finally looks up at him, eyes a little glassy.

"I got in," he whispers, and then repeats, louder this time, "Keith,  _I got in!_ "

An almost manic giggle escapes his lips, and he claps one hand over his mouth, the other reaching out to steady Keith as he launches himself at Shiro, throwing his arms around his neck and squeezing him tight.

"Holy shit!" Keith laughs, "Oh my god Shiro, you did it!"

They break apart, and Shiro picks up the letter again, slightly crumpled from being crushed between the two of them. He runs a hand through his hair, reading it over again. Keith moves to sit beside Shiro, and hooks his chin over his shoulder.

 _Dear Mr. Takashi Shirogane,_  
  
_Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to the Undergraduate Astrophysics program at Garrison University for the upcoming Fall 2016 semester. The Garrison is one of the country's top universities, and you have been selected from a highly competitive applicant field._

 _We are also pleased to offer you an entrance scholarship totalling $10,000.00. This amount will be deducted from your tuition fees should you accept_ _your offer-_

Keith stops reading there and turns his head to look at Shiro. He's still staring intently at the letter, lips silently mouthing the words on the page. He still wears an expression of disbelief, and Keith's feels a surge of pride as he remembers the nerve wracking stress that had been plaguing Shiro in the months following his application as he waited for a response. The late night phone calls that had Keith whispering reassurances to stop Shiro from overthinking, the constant cancelled plans where Shiro chose to put in that extra hour or two of studying to make sure he stayed top of his class - it was all worth it, Keith thinks. It was all worth it, because now Shiro gets to go to his dream school, and he will be amazing, and it's nothing less than he deserves, and Keith ignores the tiny voice in the back of his mind reminding him that this also means that Shiro will be moving four hours away, because this isn't about him. 

It's about Shiro.

And when Shiro turns to him again and grins and Keith sees the excitement and relief visible in his eyes, it's easy to push aside whatever negative feelings may have started to crop up, because Shiro is  _here_ , and he isn't going anywhere for a while, and so Keith grins right back, and listens with a fond smile as Shiro begins to gush animatedly about September.

* * *

**June, 2016**

Shiro's graduation day is clear and sunny and hot. Keith is slowly melting in the dress shirt he forced himself into for the occasion, and it takes all his willpower to not just rip the sleeves right off. He's sitting between his mom and Shiro's father, the metal folding chair hard and uncomfortable beneath him. 

It's a blessing when the opening bars of "Pomp and Circumstance" sound through the tinny speakers, and they all stand as the graduates begin to file in. Keith cranes his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Shiro in the sea of maroon gowns and caps. 

He's near the back of the procession. Keith just barely sees him over the heads of the dozens of other parents in the section where he's sitting, but he stands on his toes and manages to catch Shiro's eye as he passes. One side of Shiro's mouth quirks upward into a half-smile, and he winks at Keith before schooling his expression back into something more solemn and turning to face forward again. Keith can't help but smile back, even after he can no longer distinguish Shiro from the mass of other graduates.

"He looks good," his mother whispers teasingly, nudging him with her elbow. "All grown up."

Keith feels his face grow warm under her gaze. "Yeah," he mumbles back, "I guess so."

The ceremony itself is painfully long and boring, and Keith dozes off around a minute into the valedictorian's speech. He doesn't feel bad about it - the guy, Slav, an exchange student or something, had only just beaten Shiro out for the position, and Keith is still a little bitter about it on Shiro's behalf. 

He only jerks back to attention when his mother pinches his side and gestures toward the stage with her chin. "He's next."

His eyes snap up to the stage just in time to hear Shiro's name called out, and he joins in the applause as Shiro is handed his diploma, heart swelling with pride as the announcer lists off Shiro's impressive list of accolades. 

Shiro finds them after the ceremony concludes. Keith tries to remain back and walk over with Shiro's parents and his mother, but as soon as Shiro is within a few feet he thinks fuck it all and sprints the short distance to him, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"Congratulations!" he shouts, and he's probably yelling too close to Shiro's ear, but Shiro must not mind because he just wraps the hand not holding his precious diploma around Keith's shoulders and laughs. "I can't believe it's all done," he admits, ruffling Keith's hair before turning to hug his parents, "This feels so fucking weird."

Keith laughs and steps back to give Shiro a moment with his parents and Keith's mother as they all in turn congratulate him. He takes this chance to really look at Shiro - as much as he'd never admit as much to anyone other than her, his mother was right earlier, Shiro does look good. His hair, which had been carefully slicked back at the beginning of the day, falls endearingly into his eyes, mussed up from sweat, his cap, and the amount of times Keith is sure Shiro ran his fingers through it throughout the day. His gown is unzipped and the white dress shirt he wears underneath stretches wonderfully across his chest as he moves and Keith thinks he's the most beautiful person he's ever seen. 

"Let's get a picture of you two!" he hears Shiro's mother say, and then there's a hand on his back pushing him towards Shiro again, who smiles at him, blinding and warm, and throws a friendly arm around his shoulders. Keith smiles obligingly at the camera, and tries not to be too obvious in the way he breathes in the scent of Shiro's cologne and moves minutely closer to him. 

He smiles and tries to fight the sudden burning behind his eyes as he remembers that in just under two months he won't have this anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it this far, thank you for reading!! If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know - I'm editing this myself so I'm always open to comments! 
> 
> I'm also on [twitter](https://twitter.com/iscarosaac), come say hi!


	2. It Was Always You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWiRW0uJKk4) song

**August, 2016**

**I.**

The water is cool and clear, and Keith can see his toes as he wiggles them among the pebbles that make up the shallow lake bed. It's a welcome reprieve from the stifling heat that has encompassed most of the summer.

Shiro is lying on his back in a sunny patch of grass, baseball cap pulled down over his eyes as he dozes. Keith wades back to shore, water splashing up around his legs to wet the ends of his rolled up jeans, and flops down next to Shiro, sitting with his hands braced behind him and legs stretched out in front. 

"Lie down, you're blocking my sun," Shiro mumbles, and with one hand tugs on Keith's elbow until he's on his back next to him, while with the other, pushes his hat back on his head so he can crack an eye open to halfheartedly glare at Keith. 

Keith flips him off in return, but settles down regardless, bringing an arm up under his head to cushion it, and resting one of his still-wet feet over Shiro's ankle. Shiro makes a face but doesn't push the foot off, which Keith counts as a victory.

They lie like that in a comfortable silence. The grass is soft beneath Keith's back, and although the sun is beating down relentlessly, there is a breeze that blows through often enough to not make it unbearable. 

The lake is somewhat of a hidden treasure to them. Surrounded by a thick wall of spruce trees that give way to the lush grassy clearing, the site is picturesque. They had stumbled upon it while hiking a few years ago, and it's been  _their_ spot ever since - it's secluded, but not exceedingly far from town, and it's always been a perfect summer escape for them. 

It seemed only fitting that they come here on Shiro's last day.

"Are you nervous?"

Shiro frowns as several emotions flicker across his face at the question. "I don't know," he admits after a minute. "I guess so? But I'm also really excited? I'm trying not to think about it too much I guess," he laughs. "It's just. It's just so wild you know? Like, I guess it still hasn't hit me that this is actually happening."

Keith doesn't know what to say to that, so he settles on a very eloquent "Yeah," and rolls onto his stomach, propping himself up on his forearms. "You'll be fine though. You always are."

Shiro snorts in response, and they leave it at that, falling into silence again. Keith himself is on the brink of nodding off when he hears Shiro speak again, much quieter this time.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Keith tilts his head to look at Shiro to find him staring back, his jaw tense and brows furrowed. Keith's breath catches and he swears his heart is beating loud enough that Shiro will hear it. It would be so easy to lean over and kiss him then, Keith thinks, but thoughts like that are dangerous and out of the question, so Keith just gives him a wry smile and replies, "You'll make cooler new college friends and forget all about me before you know it."

He's only teasing but Shiro's frown deepens and he jerks upright, pulling Keith with him so that they're sitting facing each other. "You're always gonna be my best friend Keith," he says, grip on Keith's arm tightening a fraction. "I mean it, I'm gonna miss you and I'm not gonna just go and replace you with anyone. Ever. You know that right?"

Keith stares at him, a little slack-jawed. Shiro's intensity surprises him - and he hopes the rush of warmth in his cheeks isn't visible. He clears his throat. "I know," he finally says, "And besides, you won't really get the chance to be rid of me cause I'll be right there with you next fall."

"Oh  _fuck yeah_ ," Shiro grins back, "You and I are gonna take the school by storm as soon as you graduate." He stands, dusts his shorts off, and starts walking towards the lake, glancing at Keith over his shoulder. "Come on, I'm hot."

 _Yes you are_ Keith thinks, and smiles at his own joke as he pushes himself to his feet, jogging in after Shiro and cackling at the undignified squawk he lets out when Keith splashes him.

* * *

**II.**

The sun is just a faint orange glow peaking out from between rooftops when Keith arrives at Shiro's house. His parents are still loading the last of his things into their minivan, and Shiro's mother flashes Keith a smile, gesturing inside with her chin. 

"He's in his room," she says, and Keith nods, shouting a quick  _Good Morning_ to Shiro's father as he passes him, and jogs up the stairs to Shiro's -now old- bedroom. He's sitting on his bed that's stripped of its covers, now just a mattress and frame. Keith lets out a low whistle as he takes in the room. There's not much that's changed - all the big furniture is still in its usual places, but the posters that littered the walls, the strings of polaroids, even a good number of knick-knacks from Shiro's desk were all gone, packed into boxes ready for their new home in Shiro's dorm.

"Looks weird, huh?" Shiro says, and Keith can only nod back, all words getting stuck in his throat. "I hope it all fits in the new room. I know it's a lot smaller than this one, and I won't even have it all to myself, but I had to pick what I wanted to take after we got back last night and I was just there with an empty box staring at all this shit and I just couldn't leave any of it behind you know?" He laughs and Keith echoes him, albeit without as much enthusiasm.

"You better send me pictures as soon as you're set up," Keith says, "No scratch that, as soon as you  _get there_. I wanna see your little room in all its beautiful, ugly, undecorated glory the moment you do."

"That I can do," Shiro replies, "Trust me, I'll be messaging you so much about  _everything_ that you're gonna block my number before a week is up."

"Never. I want to hear everything. I want it to be just like I'm there too." Keith pauses. "That's not weird right?"

"It's not," Shiro reassures him. "I'd honestly be a little offended if you didn't care."

Keith laughs. "Do you know who your roommate is yet?"

Shiro runs a hand through his hair. "Some guy named Matt, I think. That's what the email I got said at least. Don't know anything about him though, we haven't contacted each other or anything. I'm just hoping he's not like, I don't know, terrible."

"Well if he is I'll come up there and save you," Keith promises, and it's horribly cheesy, but it makes Shiro chuckle and smile at him, big and fond, and he knows that if Shiro actually did hate his roommate, Keith really would do everything in his power to make the guy's life a living hell. And the intensity of it should scare Keith but he's long since accepted that he'd do anything if it meant Shiro would be happy.

Shiro's father's voice floats in from the front door, informing them that it's time to leave, and this is the moment Keith has dreading more than anything for the last five months. He and Shiro both stand and wordlessly make their way out, Keith going first and pretending not to see when Shiro pauses and takes a final look around his childhood room before shutting the door firmly and joining Keith on the front lawn.

"Got everything?" Shiro's mom asks, and Shiro nods. "You two say goodbye now. Keith, I wish we could take you too, but there just isn't enough room for all of us plus all of Takashi's things... Well anyway, we're going to wait in the car. Don't be too long, we want to beat the morning rush traffic."

They watch as she climbs into the passenger seat next to Shiro's father, and then turn to each other. There's an awkward pause for a moment before Shiro takes a step forward and that's all Keith needs before he wraps his arms around Shiro's waist and presses his face into his chest. Shiro's arms in turn wrap around Keith's shoulder's squeezing him even closer. Keith is horrified to find that his vision gets blurry and try as he might he can't quite blink back the tears that well up and spill over, probably wetting Shiro's shirt in the process.

It's okay though, he figures, because when they break apart, Shiro's eyes are shiny too, and he sniffs as he releases Keith, running a hand through his hair like he always does when he's worked up about something. Keith himself finds that he's completely choked up, and there are a hundred things he wants to say, but physically cannot get a single one of them out besides a broken "I'm gonna miss you," which results in Shiro pulling him in again and repeating the words back, a little muffled from where his face is buried in Keith's hair.

"I'm coming home in October for reading week," Shiro says when they part again, "That's only like a month and a half. And then again in December. It'll be alright."

Keith sniffs. "Yeah. And we'll still talk every day. It'll be just like you're not gone at all."

"Exactly." Shiro looks back at the waiting car. "I guess I should..."

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah, they're waiting for you."

"So..."

"So we're not saying bye cause it's only for a little while and you're gonna text me as soon as you get there."

Shiro lets out a shaky laugh. "Yeah exactly." He lets out a breath. "Okay. Okay. I'm going."

"Yeah," Keith says, because it's the only thing he can say at this point. "I'll see you."

Shiro nods once, and then before he finds another reason to stall, turns and crosses the lawn, stopping right before he gets in the back seat to shoot Keith one last smile, which Keith tries his best to return, and then he's in and the door slides shut behind him and the car backs up onto the road. Keith walks up to the sidewalk, ignoring how his shoes squelch with dew from standing on the grass so long, and waves as the car carrying his best friend away drives out of sight.

The sun is up by now, and the rest of the street is slowly showing signs of life, and Keith wraps his arms around his middle and wonders what comes next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any concerns/feedback, please let me know! I'm also on [twitter](https://twitter.com/iscarosaac) :)


End file.
